Growing up, we are always taught to measure what we earn, spend and save. Even better, there is a system that makes us audit our finances every year. A date, process and certain discipline that we rarely question.
But when it comes to our life, we leave it unaudited.
It made me pause and think about how this process shapes our decisions. We sit with numbers, revisit our choices, and prepare ourselves for what lies ahead. And I wondered, what if we gave the same attention to our own life?
The more I think about this deeply, the more I realise that how easy it is to review numbers, but how uncomfortable it feels to sit with our own choices. May be that’s why we avoid it.
Most of our reflection happens as a response to something which I believe is fleeting in nature.
A bad day, a great conversation or a moment that did not sit well. The reflection we do here is not very objective in nature. Emotions (good/bad) are often too high when we are going through moments of life.
This kind of reflection would help sail your boat but never teaches you how to survive when life rocks your boat.
Sitting with yourself and looking at your life at a safe distance can be powerful. You begin to see things as they are, not just as you felt them in the moment. Asking yourself:
- What decisions worked for me?
- What people bring me peace?
- What habits have helped me grow?
If you are willing to dig deeper
- What decisions took me off track?
- Who drained my energy?
- What habits made me feel less like myself?
These questions are the simplest ones but so profound, it immediately instills accountability & responsibility of one’s life to one’s own hand. Based on my own experience I say this, its hard to lie to yourself.
These are not things you can quantify.They invite you to slow down, reflect without bias, and gently move towards better choices. This simple practice helps you in knowing yourself, knowing whats serving you well and what’s not.
When we all can follow a system to audit something as external as money, it made me wonder why we don’t care enough to do the same with our own life? May be, its because this kind of audit asks for honesty.
Honesty especially with ourselves, is not always easy.
But I am beginning to feel that even a small attempt at it can change the quality of life.
Audit your life.
Not because you have to, but because you deserve that clarity about yourself.